I am now on Week 2 of my ‘Rest of My Life’ fitness program. I call it that because I intend to stick to it for, well, the rest of my life. (I can hear Raft3r now going ‘yeah right.’)

The ‘Rest of My Life’ diet is an amalgam of two fitness programs: the Fit For Life program of Harvey Diamond and the Get With the Program program of Bob Greene. Diamond’s program will help me deal with my food intake, making me eat healthier with almost 90% of my food intake being fruits and vegetables (which I love). Greene’s program, on the other hand, helps me get to the bottom of my issues, which include binge eating and emotional eating.

The end result, ideally, will be an overall healthier me.

Yesterday, I learned I won a gift certificate from Jaymie for a discount off a Nike+ Sportsband. (Thank you, Jaymie!!) From an original PHP3,300, I can get it for PHP2,700. I didn’t expect to win it, so this comes as a bit of a surprise; I don’t exactly have the budget for it. But after Pastor Joey Bonifacio spoke the world of his Nike+, I realized this was just what I needed - okay, wanted - to jumpstart my exercise program. (Since my Gold’s membership has expired and no one seems to want to join me for Lazer Tag or badminton, it’s been a lonely exercise trek.)

(So it’s not a need, it’s a want. The Bible tells me the Lord will grant the desires of my heart in accordance with His will and desires for me as I desire Him too, so I guess I will just have to believe Him for it.)

The GC also comes quid pro quo: if I buy the Nike+ Sports band, I should ideally participate in Nike Philippines’ upcoming Human Race on August 31. Jason, one of my volunteers, has been training for this marathon for months; am I so self-deluded to think that I should join this marathon having NO training, less than two weeks before the event?

Well, regardless of whether or not I get the Nike+ Sports band, I think I will start running. If Joey Bonifacio says it’s remarkably good for him, it’s gotta be good for me too.

Meanwhile, if y’all wanna join the Nike+ Human Race, you can sign up at any Nike Park store on or before the 30th of August.

Some people say you are what you eat. I say you are what you listen to.

My friend and pastor Rich Blaylock listens to podcasts from some of Christianity’s most electrifying apologists. That’s why he’s insightful and deep for his 24 years.

(Of course he also listens to really loud rock. This morning, I had to check my eye sockets, ears, nostrils, and mouth for signs of bleeding. I say he’s going to be the rock on which God builds His church.)

Another friend and co-worker, Mich, listens to a variety of musical styles, including alternative rock. That’s just about right; in case Rich isn’t the rock on which God will build His church, Mich is the alternative rock. She gets along well with a variety of people of differing ages and social strata; someone whose musical tastes linger on the wide gamut of musical personalities that make up alt rock would fit in, methinks, with all types of people.

My wife Cathy likes R&B-type grooves along the lines of Mariah Carey, John Legend, and Elliott Yamin. She needs music like this to handle the pressures of her job. R&B can also stand for riveting and beautiful, which she is.

I listen to pop fluff, so I’m fluffy. Analogical stretches aside, I go for anything with a tight sense of harmony. We Are The World-type songs, you know, or Barbara Ann (Beach Boys), The Lion Sleeps Tonight (The Tokens), even Hold On (Wilson Phillips). And of course, gospel and Contemporary Christian Music provides much opportunity for layers and layers of harmony.

This 2003 study says people are drawn to musical styles that reflect their personalities. According to the study, people who listen to “reflective and complex” music score well in tests that measure verbal ability, self-perceived intelligence and political liberalism; people who enjoy “upbeat and conventional” music score highly on extraversion, self-perceived physical attractiveness, athleticism and political conservatism.

What music do you listen to? Do you think it reflects who you are?

Cathy and I recently came into two of Zen Zest’s new Cocktails Collection women’s fragrances: Malibu and Bellini, and being the fragrance freaks we are, we couldn’t be happier… at least with one of them.

By far the better smelling of the two is Zen Zest Bellini, “a zesty combination of orange, coriander leaves, jasmine, violet leaves, vanilla, and musk.” Normally, I’m not a big fan of vanilla and musk, but the combination of these two with orange and jasmine makes Bellini a nice evening fragrance. It reminds me a bit of Mariah Carey’s M, albeit without the lingering toasted marshmallow scent; instead, we get a light bottom note of jasmine, which works well for nighttime.

Zen Zest Malibu, on the other hand, “combines the enticing sparkle of citrus and the freshness of wild mint, rhubarb jelly, and the tang of orange.” The mint and rhubarb overpowers the citrus, and it doesn’t work for me and Cathy. However, we can totally see some people with livelier personalities totally going for this scent.

You can buy Zen Zest Bellini at all Zen Zest kiosks and stores in major shopping malls across the nation. Their website’s down, unfortunately, so if you’ve any information, you’re just going to have to email them.

Mark Roach is arguably my favorite new Contemporary Christian male discovery for 2008. After seeing the chart progress of his hit Inspo single Surrounded, I was drawn to his MySpace, where I discovered an artist with an ear for memorable, sing-able melodies and a skill for producing earnest lyrics that speak of God’s goodness and majesty.

While it was easy to predict the Top 10 potential of Surrounded, Roach’s second Inspo single The Least I Can Do betters it across many levels. First of all, The Least I Can Do has a much easier, more memorable melody to sing. Second, the lyrics are easy to sing, with a hook that worshippers will find easy to remember. Third, The Least I Can Do’s two main topics – the heart of gratitude for what God has done and for the sacrifice of His Son on the cross for our sins – speak on both personal and community levels, making it a potent double threat that should make it a ready staple for church worship.

Assuming Warner Bros. stands behind this track and given the previous success of Surrounded, I predict an easy Top 5 finish for The Least I Can Do, with a #1 finish not entirely out of the question. Easily one of my favorite tracks of 2008.

Listen to Mark Roach The Least I Can Do mp3
The Least I Can Do Mark Roach lyrics after the jump. Read more

I’m so happy! I used the US$25 Amazon gift certificate I won from Toni’s birthday contest to buy four CDs. That’s one for each of us in the family.

The first CD I bought - for Nicki - was Veggie Tales’ Bob & Larry’s Sunday Morning Songs. We had a cassette copy of this album back in the day, but I can’t find it, and even if I could, I’d have to have it converted to CD, which would cost me a minimum of PHP350, without the CD booklet and everything… it just made more sense to buy it from Amazon (despite its being almost US$2 cheaper on MusiChristian.com, which won’t let me buy these CDs thanks to EMI; thanks a lot, EMI!). This album is a real keeper, with more than 15 Sunday morning songs that Nathan already enjoys, including Give Me Oil in My Lamp and I’ve Got the Joy Down in My Heart. I’m sure Nicki will enjoy it just as much.

The second CD, this one for Nathan, is also a Veggie Tales album: Veggie Tales: On the Road With Bob & Larry. This looks like a great CD: 15 tracks of songs one can sing along with while driving in the car! I confess I’m not too familiar with the songs - just one, actually, The Surrey With the Fringe on Top - but the reviews were great and I want some sing-along music with Nathan there. Also, there are backing tracks so we can sing without Bob and Larry. He he he.

The third CD is for Cathy: Vanessa Williams’ The Sweetest Days. This is one of her favorite albums, and she only has a copy, cassette pa. It contains The Sweetest Days and Constantly, one of her favorite songs of all time.

Finally, I wanted to reward myself as well, so tadah, early Christmas present: Mandisa’s Christmas Joy EP! Hahaha, I’ve wanted this since last year! (Her new album, Freedom, is being recorded right now, and word has it she’s recording a new Christmas CD; yeah, girl, you go and be the Kimberley Locke of gospel! Make Christmas singles every year!) Total cost of CD haul: a little less than US$30. So I spend only US$5 extra (because the entire purchase qualified for free shipping! Whee!

Special thanks to Toni again for the wonderful gift and to my best friend Raft3r, to whom I’m shipping these CDs in the US and who will be coming home with them. Now there’s even more reason to celebrate my best bud’s return!

Today is starting out to be a great day. Witness, to wit:

I won Toni’s birthday contest! I entered a birthday contest from my good friend Toni at her website Wifely Steps, and to my utter surprise and glee, I won the randomly selected lottery contest! I never win at these things! Thank You, God! Thank you, Toni! (Now, how shall I spend my US$25 Amazon GC? Mandisa or Avalon? Argh, decisions, decisions!)

Spotlight’s breaking out! Jennifer Hudson’s Spotlight bows at #96 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, three notches ahead of fellow Oscar winner Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia) and one notch behind fellow Oscar winner Jamie Foxx (Please Excuse My Hands, on which he and The Dream are featured artists with rapper Plies). Three Oscar winners, including Jennifer Hudson, all debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time? This is the kind of chart news I really enjoy! Go, J-Hud! Go Spotlight!

Oh, and for this week, here are Jennifer Hudson’s Spotlight Billboard rankings:
Hot 100: #96 (debut)
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: #16, up four notches (bullet)
Adult R&B Airplay: #12, same as last week (bullet)

I just played Lazer Tag! Some of the pastors and staff visited Lazer Xtreme at Market! Market! for 15 minutes of lazer tag. OMG, such fun! It was my first time to play, and I finished a more than respectable 5th out of 12. More importantly, Pastor Joey Bonifacio, who trash-talked me like there was no tomorrow, finished dead last. Hahaha, take that, Sir! (Just kidding. Please don’t fire me.)

Do you feel like a winner today?

The Fully Booked High Street branch in Fort Bonifacio is holding its first anniversary sale ending August 2. Discounts as high as 90% were being slapped onto the thousands of books at Fully Booked Serendra (We’re talking four floors of books. How can you possible say “No!” to that?!)

So, yesterday, I conned convinced my wife and father-in-law to make the trek from our home in Caloocan to High Street to check out the sale. Boy, was it worth it! Among the many books we got were I Am Legend (the original sci-fi novel from the 60s), No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth (a graphic novel adaptation of the British classic), another graphic novel, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and a reprint of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. (You know who owns that last one.) For Nathan, the last copy - at PHP250! - of Maurice Sendak’s classic, Where the Wild Things Are. We would’ve probably bought a lot more had there been more time.

I had my eye on Kathy Reichs’ Bones and Ashes. think I may return tomorrow to see if it’s worth it. Also, I also a new Paulo Coelho book; I just need to confirm if it is new. (After he added me to his list of friends on Plurk, how can I turn down his latest? Woohoo!)

I also visited their fourth floor, home to CDs and DVDs, and saw the entire 10-season Friends boxed set retailing for PHP7,950. That seems like a lot, but that actually comes down to only PHP795 a season. In DVD! Plus, the two gospel CDs of Michelle Williams at PHP499 each. Gah. Kulang na lang, Calvin and Hobbes boxed set at 20% off. Hu hu hu, I wonder how much I’d get for my kidney.

Are you a book lover? Head on down to Fully Booked while the sale’s still hot. Most books start at 20% discount, that’s already reason enough!

A “Twilight” theme for Plurk is now blessing my Plurk page. I developed it with my “Twilight” wife Cathy - I guess this layout makes us “Twihards” now, doesn’t it? - and now it’s up and rather pretty, if I do say so myself. I also recently joined the Flickr Plurk Themes group and uploaded my Plurk “Twilight” theme onto it.

If you’re looking for a Plurk “Twilight” theme, click here to install it into your Plurk page. If you’d like to see it, click on the image above to go to the Flickr page for the image.

GannsDeen.com is now on Plurk. Come and join the fun!

I have been using Wordpress as a blogging tool for quite some time, so when I heard that the Mindanao bloggers were organizing WordCamp Philippines 2008, I was quite excited. However, I told myself I probably couldn’t go because I’m way too busy. But when Sarah said she was going, I told myself, hey, if Sarah can go, I should be able to, also. After all, what we learn can benefit the church!

So, I’m going!

Here are the details:
What: WordCamp Philippines 2008
When: Sept 6 2008
Where: College of St. Benilde Taft Ave., Manila
Registration fee: FREE

Thanks to the following for helping make WordCamp Philippines 2008 a reality:

• i.PH: the Domain for Individuals
• Free Online Flash Games
• Wazzup Manila Philippines
• Real Estate CRM
• Real Estate Website Designers
• Orange County Real Estate
• Auto Insurance Quotes
• Lane Systems Inc.
• RedMedia
• Orange County Business Lawyer
• Cebu Pacific Air
• Buddy Gancenia Reality TV
• SmartBro Wireless Broadband
• SPOT.ph
• Make Money with Performancing Ads

See you there! Fil-Christian EB!